1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a lockable bottle cap retainer to prevent unauthorized access to the contents of a bottle and more particularly to a device which can be installed over the stopper or cap of a bottle and the bottle neck to prevent unauthorized access to the bottle contents and which can be easily removed by one possessing a suitable key.
2. Prior Art
The prior art contains various devices which can be installed over a bottle neck to prevent access to the contents of a bottle to which the device is installed. These devices are unnecessarily large and complex and the locking means to hold the device in assembly is not very secure.
U.S. Pat. No. 120,363, issued Oct. 31, 1871 to Beal shows two half segments A, A.sup.1 hinged together at one end and having locking parts at the other. The locking member is described as a spring on one segment which engages a shoulder on the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 173,061, issued Feb. 1, 1876 to Robards shows a cap A which has two sections B.sup.2, one of which is hingedly coupled to each end of middle section B.sup.1. When cap A is installed and pressed downwardly to compress spring d, the rim flanges b complete a circle below the shoulder of the neck of the bottle so that it cannot be removed. A key is required to unlock the device so that slide b can be moved and the sections B.sup.2 moved outwardly to disengage from the bottle neck.
U.S. Pat. No. 886,723, issued Mar. 3, 1908 to Cumming shows a cap 1 which can be locked upon bottle 2 employing the shoulder 3 on the bottle neck, and fits over the usual cork or stopper 4. Four locking pawls or dogs 12 are arranged to be moved between a withdrawn or unlocked position as shown in FIG. 4 to a locking position under shoulder 3 as shown in FIG. 5. A key 24 controls the position of lock-bolt 21. The key 24 engages arm 25 of lock-bolt 21 and withdraws bolt 21 from ratchet teeth 27. The locking pawl ring 10 can be moved to permit the pawls or dogs 12 to be moved under shoulder 3 or withdrawn therefrom.
Mills, U.S. Pat. No. 1,155,947, issued Oct. 5, 1915, shows a two part cap made of hinged, curved, overlapping plates 14 with integral top extensions 15 which overlay so that the cap can be made to conform to the bottle neck size. A locking ring 16 is placed in one of the recesses 15.sup.1 so that it can be placed under lip 12 of the neck 11 of bottle 10. A toothed locking band 18 passes through locking casing 22 where a pawl 24 can be set against teeth 20 on band 18 to lock the cap in place.
Horowitz, U.S. Pat. No. 3,206,955, issued Sep. 21, 1965, shows a bottle lock 10 to be placed on the neck of a capped bottle 12. Locking arms 30, 32 on the interior of body portion 22 are joined at hinge 34. Once the bottle lock 10 is in place the arms 30, 32 are moved so as to be positioned tightly about the neck of bottle 12 under flange 18. A padlock is then passed through the aligned holes 40, 42, 44 or 46.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,332, issued Sep. 1, 1970 to Adelberger is directed to a lockable vial which requires an interrupted external tooth pattern 3, 4 (see FIG. 1) and a cap 5 with internal teeth 18 placed to engage teeth 4 of the vial due to the presence of key 1. To remove the cap 5, the key 1 must be removed and the cap 5 rotated to the unthreaded portion 3 of the vial.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,687, issued Aug. 10, 1976 to Glick shows a safety cap 22 which only works with a bottle 10 having an internal ring 20. The key 38 operates locking pins 30 to move under internal ring 20 to lock cap 22 in place or withdraw the locking pins 30 to release cap 22.